by Adam Rushing
Emily’s face fell for a second but quickly transformed into a sly smile. “You don’t have to leave me, you know. I could come with you.”
“I don’t know how Antonio will react to that,” protested Jude. “Plus, I’d rather you stay out of harm’s way. You can go back to the hotel, and I’ll meet you there when we’re done.”
Emily assumed a semi-pleading, semi-stubborn stance. “I’ve never had the opportunity to experience the things you have, Jude. I promise I’ll sit in the corner and be quiet. If you make me go back to the hotel, I can’t guarantee I’ll be there when you return. “
The threat of losing his new-found paramour so soon made his decision simpler. “Okay. You can accompany me to meet with Gallo, and we can try to convince him to allow you to observe. The decision is ultimately up to him, though, agreed?”
Emily nodded emphatically.
Jude grabbed her hand and led her toward the main thoroughfare as he continued, “Great! He sounded pretty wound up on the phone, so let’s get there as quickly as we can. Taxi!”
Chapter Ten
The taxi dropped them off at the intersection Gallo had specified earlier. The small cross street was lined with compact automobiles and motorized scooters. The buildings were the typical urban mixed-use formula of businesses at street level and apartments above, although this particular piece of the city currently lacked many profitable-looking commercial endeavors. This was probably due to the scarcity of traffic on the small avenue, Jude noted. The bustle of the city had diverted itself onto larger parallel roadways. This one was old and so narrow that the buildings cast a near-constant shadow on the asphalt.
He scanned the area for Gallo and spied him waving at them near the entrance of a small trattoria-style restaurant. Jude waved back, and the priest jogged toward them. He wore his curiosity at Emily’s presence plainly on his face.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” he said. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Emily, but I’m afraid Jude and I have matters of the utmost importance to attend to as soon as possible.”
“Sorry about this, Antonio,” Jude tried to apologize to him. “Emily asked to join us and observe the exorcism. I told her she might only if you agreed.”
Gallo was taken aback. “I don’t think that’s possible. I’m sorry, Emily, but there are protocols to follow, plus the inherent danger in dealing with a demonic entity. I would never forgive myself if you were harmed or something followed you home,”
Emily’s shoulders drooped in clear disappointment. “I understand your concern, Father. I just thought that maybe a woman’s perspective could help. I understand the International Association of Exorcists doesn’t have much diversity. Please don’t get mad at Jude. I worked hard to get him to agree to take me along.”
“She has a good point,” coaxed Jude. “Maybe she could give us a different perspective on what is happening.”
Gallo paused to consider before making his decision. “Ok, you may attend the ceremony, Emily, but do not participate. These creatures will do everything they can to deceive you or break you down in order to make you susceptible to their control.”
“I shall be a fly on the wall,” Emily swore solemnly.
“Fine,” said Gallo, “follow me. The residence is not far from here.” He led them down a dirtier side street covered in even more graffiti than the last, past barred windows and courtyards surrounded by tall concrete walls to a small iron gate with a buzzer. He pressed the intercom button and spoke some soft words in Italian that Jude didn’t catch. A few seconds later, the magnetic lock on the gate clicked open. They walked into a small, well-kept garden courtyard that stood out of place compared to the dingy street outside and further into the building.
The dimly shining scones along the walls and the bowed wooden floors told Jude the place had most likely not been renovated in the sixty-plus years of its existence. The wallpaper in the hall smelled musty, and what little sunlight that punched its way through the heavily smudged windows had faded the few exposed patches. Gallo climbed the stairs to the third floor with the others closely in tow. He halted the little cadre in front of a door labeled 3F and turned around to brief them on the situation.
“You are about to meet Ronaldo Contri. Mister Contri claims to see demonic visions and experiences episodes of lost time. According to his wife, he had been a relatively happy person until two weeks ago. He began having horrible nightmares of pain and torture causing him to awake screaming multiple times a night. He stopped sleeping soon after in fear of his dreams. He was arrested two days ago for disrupting the peace at a local mall when he attacked a local shopkeeper, claiming his face melted right before his eyes into some type of devil.
According to the arresting officer, he did not become lucid until thirty minutes after he was detained. He continued to babble nonsense, however, and issue threats until his wife finally came to get him. I listened to the recordings myself and read the reports of our language consultants. He appears to be speaking an ancient dialect of Egyptian, but he could not possibly know it. He is now so paranoid that he refuses to go outside, and rarely speaks to anyone except his wife.
She spoke to her local priest about the matter a few weeks ago, and he visited to pray over Mister Contri. As soon as he began the invocation, Mister Contri became so agitated the priest was afraid for his safety. He left before the situation turned violent and contacted my office for assistance. That is why I need you here, Jude, and why I am concerned for Miss Cooper’s safety. If you insist on the both of you attending, then we must ensure Mister Contri can cause no harm. Shall we go inside? I’ll translate.”
Both Jude and Emily nodded, as Gallo rapped on the door. A small lady in her late sixties answered the door quickly, indicating she had been eagerly expecting them. Father Gallo greeted her quietly in Italian, which she softly returned. He then continued to converse with her in some depth. Jude did not know enough to translate for himself, but he could follow the woman’s expressive hand gestures and loosely gather her meaning.
The way she wrung her hands gave away her incredible distress. She kept motioning back into the apartment, obviously discussing her husband. The priest turned to the couple and explained the situation.
“She has agreed to let all of us in, but she will not talk to her husband. Allow me to go into the bedroom to prepare Mister Contri for the exorcism rites. In his current state, I don’t believe he would be able to handle the stress of so many strangers at once without warning.”
They both agreed and sat down on an old threadbare couch, while Gallo disappeared into the adjoining room. The small apartment consisted of what looked like one bedroom, one bathroom, and a large living area that included the kitchen. The tenants seemed to keep what little items they possessed clean and organized, but Jude could tell the Contris had seen better times, if better times had existed at all. He didn’t see a single thing that looked younger than ten or fifteen years old. Mrs. Contri sat in an ancient Chesterfield and quietly continued to nervously wring her hands.
“Thank you for coming,” she said in halting English. “My husband… he is very sick. Please pray for him.”
Emily leaned across the gap and held the poor woman’s hand. “Father Gallo will help him. It will be okay.”
The woman began crying gently, glad to have a sympathetic female in the room. Gallo emerged from the bedroom looking a little calmer than when he went in. “I spoke with Mister Contri. He has agreed to allow himself to be tied down to the bed to prevent any violent outbreaks that may occur. We will begin soon.”
The group emptied into the small bedroom, as Contri’s wife dragged two table chairs behind her. Jude helped her get them in and took stock of his surroundings. The room was bare of any furniture besides a small double bed on a metal frame, a dresser, and an antique wardrobe. The lack of obstruction gave them some room to move around, at least. Mister Contri sat on the bed, glistening with sweat, in faded blue jeans and a stained t-shirt, looking terrified of the whole s
ituation.
His wife spoke some soothing words to him to ease his tension. Gallo motioned Jude and Emily to the far corner of the room to allow himself some space. Contri gingerly lay on the bed and braced himself, while Gallo and his wife tied him down with belts and various bits of fabric available in the house.
Gallo shooed Mrs. Contri out of the room, before he donned his vestments for the ceremony and began his purification ritual. After a few minutes of prayer and ablution, he opened his exorcism manual and began the rite.
An hour crawled by filled with only the steady drone of the priest’s chanting and the soft sobbing of Mrs. Contri in the other room. Jude was doing his best to maintain his concentration, but he was beginning to drift off to sleep. He stole a quick glance over at Emily to see how she was doing. Her awe had not worn off, and she still watched intently. He heard what began as a low humming in the lower range of his auditory perception, and looked around, perplexed, to see what was making such an odd noise. The pitch and volume of it began to rise, before Jude realized the sound was coming from Contri.
The man’s mouth was wide open and emitting a strange wail. Jude could only see the whites of his eyes from the angle he was sitting. As the scream began to get louder and more piercing, the bed began to shake violently. It was as if an invisible someone had grabbed hold of it and was trying to make it fall apart by sheer brute force.
Jude made a grab for Emily’s hand to comfort her, but she remained unmoved, still observing the whole affair with clinical attentiveness. Gallo raised his voice to drown out the noise and threw holy water in the man’s face, as he continued to pray.
“Basta! Stop!” yelled the man repeatedly, jerking his face to and fro as if a thousand insects were crawling on his face.
Contri’s scream faded away and was replaced by grunts and moans of anguish. He began writhing as much as his bound body would allow him, appearing to be in incredible agony.
“Come si chiama, Diavolo? What is your name?” demanded Gallo.
“I have no name,” a gravelly voice spoke from Contri’s mouth.
Jude looked at Gallo questioningly. “Does Contri speak English?”
Gallo shook his head. “Non, he does not. We have finally drawn out the spirit.”
Gallo turned to the man again, “What purpose do you have here, spirit with no name? Why do you torture this man?”
The man continued to struggle against his bonds as he spoke, “His soul is weak and his suffering is delicious. Your friend over there looks even tastier.” He smiled evilly at Emily. “Why don’t you come over here and see what a real man is like? Don’t tell me you’re banging that guy,” he tossed his head toward Jude. “I could make that sweet little face beg for mercy.” He began swinging his hips obscenely, laughing as he did.
Jude lost his temper at Contri’s behavior. Before he knew what had happened, he found himself at the man’s bedside punching him in the face. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that, asshole!”
“Jude, sit back!” demanded Father Gallo, grabbing his arm. “You’re playing right into his trap. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you.”
Jude was filled with shame, as he regained his senses and retreated back to the wall. Contri’s body shook with raucous laughter, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Gallo was yelling the incantations at the top of his lungs. Emily continued to remain calm and unfazed through the ordeal. She had barely even moved a muscle the entire time. Jude wondered what was going through her mind.
The entity didn’t speak again for the next hour, as Gallo continued the exorcism, although the man continued to squirm and scream nonsensically. The effort eventually got the better of Contri. He stopped convulsing and passed out from exhaustion. Gallo stopped the rite to dab the man’s forehead with a cold towel.
“There now, it seems as if everything over,” he spoke aloud for the room. “Jude, help me loosen these straps. We shouldn’t need them anymore. After that, you two sit here and watch Mister Contri, while I talk to his wife and make a phone call.”
Jude nodded, and Gallo left the room and shut the door.
“So, Emily, what did you think?” he asked after Gallo had gone.
“It was amazing!” She replied. “I must admit, though, I’m a little disappointed. I thought there would be a much bigger show. Thank you for being my knight in shining armor, dear Jude.”
Jude blushed at the compliment. “Don’t mention it. I’m embarrassed at how badly I lost control there. I never could stand anyone talking to a woman like that. I’ll have to apologize to him when he wakes up.”
“I’m sure he’ll forgive you, if he even remembers it,” Emily said, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She brought her lips up to his ear and playfully whispered, “I imagine I’ll be the one who will have to punish you instead.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and coyly walked back to the corner of the room to pick up her purse.
Jude was so entranced, that he barely heard the soft mumbling coming from the direction of the bed. Mister Contri was beginning to wake up and was motioning for someone to come to his side. Jude came closer to determine what the man was saying and help him.
“L’acqua,” the man pleaded feebly.
Jude recognized the word and grabbed a water bottle from Gallo’s bag on the dresser. He knelt down beside the bed and slowly helped the man drink. When he was done, Jude set the bottle back down on the floor beside the bed, so it would be in easy reach. Contri settled back down to rest.
Jude looked back at Emily. “I think he’ll be fine. We should really talk about what we want to eat. I’m starving!”
Emily opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened and stared behind him.
“How about you eat me?” said a familiar gravelly voice behind him.
Jude felt himself suddenly jerked off the floor and sent flying through the air. He hit the adjacent wall with such force that he felt as if he had broken every bone in his body. He crumpled to the floor helpless, as Contri loomed over him. Emily screamed from the corner of the room, cut off from Jude and the door.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” the entity sneered. “First, I’m going to have fun with your pretty little girlfriend, and then I’ll take care of you.”
Gallo opened the door in response to the commotion, but it slammed shut with a flick of the possessed man’s wrist and refused to open. Contri turned and began slowly walking toward Emily.
“Now, now my dear… It will hurt at first, but I guarantee you will enjoy it before you die.”
Through his stupor, Jude saw Contri reach to grab Emily. She defensively pushed her hands out in front of her. The lights strobed and blew out, and Contri’s body was thrown backward. The man stood back up, looking as shocked as Jude imagined his own face appeared. Emily’s now-levitating body slowly sank back to the ground. Jude swore he could see a faint glowing aura emanating from her. There was a moment of silence as she and Contri stared at each other.
Contri began talking in a language that sounded like a melody whistling through tree leaves accompanied by pops not unlike those from a burning log. Emily responded in the same strange language. Whatever they were discussing seemed to instill terror in Contri, because he started backing away from Emily toward the door. As he turned to run, Emily shot forward like a bolt of lightning and held both sides of his head with her hands. For a few seconds, the energy in the room was so great that every hair on Jude’s body stood up. He could feel the pressure building in the very fillings of his teeth. As abruptly as it manifested, though, it was gone. He saw something like a puff of black smoke escape from Contri’s mouth, before she released Contri. He sank to the ground, unconscious.
Father Gallo finally managed to burst through the door and stood gazing in mixed horror and confusion at the sight of the two incapacitated men. Jude’s own consciousness began to ebb, as the corners of his eyesight formed a black tunnel. Emily rushed to his side and held him.
/> “Are you an angel?” he said weakly.
“Something like that,” she whispered, as darkness enveloped him.
Chapter Eleven
Moonlight illuminated the squat glass and concrete building of the NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. The primary traffic through its halls had long since faded away, as people left to go back home to their families. Mike Carpenter was one of the few who had no one waiting for him. He imagined this was the reason he was stuck pulling overnight shifts as often as he did. He did not mind as much as other people might have, though. He suffered from an acute social anxiety that made him more at home in a room alone with his computer monitors than mingling with his peers. Pulling an all-nighter just meant he was less likely to engage in awkward interaction with coworkers when getting up to use the bathroom or grabbing some more coffee. He was happier this way.
His job was to conduct electronic surveillance, as well as track down errors in the NSA’s global monitoring network. The NSA was incredibly defensive of its dedicated resources, especially since any type of glitch might mean the organization was missing out on a vital piece of information or that a data source might have been compromised.
His job had also been the source of his frustration for the past two years. The push to increase data monitoring around the world created an exponential increase in troubleshooting for him and his team. He was currently puzzling over a bug placed in the office of the French ambassador to the United States. It had been tested before it went into the field, but recordings were experiencing a strange spotty static, as if the transmissions were being jammed in some way. He continued monitoring the aberrant signals, thinking the interference may be some kind of counter-surveillance initiative. He kept this to himself, though. The last thing he wanted was to place unnecessary attention, possibly ridicule, upon himself for any unfounded misgivings.